Editing Uterus (section)

===Layers===
{|class="wikitable" align="right" style="margin-left:10px;"
|+ Uterine wall thickness (cm)<ref>{{cite book|author1=Nandita Palshetkar|author2=Rishma Dhillon Pai|author3=Hrishikesh D Pai|title=Textbook of Hysteroscopy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WW9bQtmpR3sC&pg=PA135|date=2012-09-30|publisher=JP Medical Ltd|isbn=978-93-5025-781-4|pages=135–}}</ref>
|-
! Location !! Mean (mm) !! Range (mm)
|-
| Anterior wall || 23 || 17 - 25
|-
| Posterior wall || 21 || 15 - 25
|-
| Fundus || 20 || 15 - 22
|-
| Isthmus || 10 || 8 - 22
|}

[[File:Gray1169.png|thumb|Vertical section of mucous membrane of human uterus]]
The uterus has three layers, which together form the '''uterine wall'''. From innermost to outermost, these layers are the [[endometrium]], [[myometrium]], and [[perimetrium]].<ref name="T and D">{{cite book |last1=Tortora |first1=G |last2=Derrickson |first2=B |title=Principles of anatomy & physiology. |date=2011 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=9780470646083 |page=1105 |edition=13th.}}</ref>

The endometrium is the inner [[Epithelium|epithelial layer]], along with its [[mucous membrane]], of the [[mammal]]ian uterus. It has a basal layer and a functional layer; the functional layer thickens and then is shed during the [[menstrual cycle]] or [[estrous cycle]]. During [[pregnancy]], the [[uterine gland]]s and [[blood vessel]]s in the endometrium further increase in size and number and form the [[decidua]]. Vascular spaces fuse and become interconnected, forming the [[placenta]], which supplies [[oxygen]] and nutrition to the [[embryo]] and [[fetus]].<ref name=histology>[http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/CorePages/FemaleRepro/FemaleRepro.htm Blue Histology - Female Reproductive System] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070221174122/http://www.lab.anhb.uwa.edu.au/mb140/CorePages/FemaleRepro/FemaleRepro.htm |date=2007-02-21 }}. School of Anatomy and Human Biology&nbsp;— The University of Western Australia Accessed 20061228 20:35</ref><ref name=Guyton2006>{{cite book | title =Textbook of Medical Physiology | chapter = Chapter 81 Female Physiology Before Pregnancy and Female Hormones | pages = 1018ff | edition = 11th |veditors = Guyton AC, Hall JE | publisher = Elsevier Saunders | year = 2006 | isbn = 9780721602400}}</ref>

The myometrium of the uterus mostly consists of [[smooth muscle]]. The innermost layer of myometrium is known as the '''junctional zone''', which becomes thickened in [[adenomyosis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms|title=NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms|website=National Cancer Institute|access-date=2017-12-27|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226183201/https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms|archive-date=2017-12-26}}</ref>

The perimetrium is a [[serous membrane|serous]] layer of visceral [[peritoneum]]. It covers the outer surface of the uterus.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ross |first1=Michael H. |last2=Pawlina |first2=Wojciech|edition=Sixth |title=Histology, a text and atlas|page=848}}</ref>

Surrounding the uterus is a layer or band of fibrous and fatty connective tissue called the [[parametrium]] that connects the uterus to other tissues of the pelvis.

[[Commensalism|Commensal]] and [[Mutualism (biology)|mutualistic]] organisms are present in the uterus and form the [[uterine microbiome]].<ref name="FranasiakScott2015">{{cite journal|last1=Franasiak|first1=Jason M.|last2=Scott|first2=Richard T.|title=Reproductive tract microbiome in assisted reproductive technologies|journal=Fertility and Sterility|volume=104|issue=6|year=2015|pages=1364–1371|issn=0015-0282|doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.10.012|pmid=26597628 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="Verstrael6">{{cite journal|last1=Verstraelen|first1=Hans|last2=Vilchez-Vargas|first2=Ramiro|last3=Desimpel|first3=Fabian|last4=Jauregui|first4=Ruy|last5=Vankeirsbilck|first5=Nele|last6=Weyers|first6=Steven|last7=Verhelst|first7=Rita|last8=De Sutter|first8=Petra|last9=Pieper|first9=Dietmar H.|last10=Van De Wiele|first10=Tom|title=Characterisation of the human uterine microbiome in non-pregnant women through deep sequencing of the V1-2 region of the 16S rRNA gene|journal=PeerJ|volume=4|year=2016|pages=e1602|issn=2167-8359|doi=10.7717/peerj.1602|pmid=26823997|pmc=4730988 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="MorKwon2015">{{cite journal|last1=Mor|first1=Gil|last2=Kwon|first2=Ja-Young|title=Trophoblast-microbiome interaction: a new paradigm on immune regulation|journal=American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology|volume=213|issue=4|year=2015|pages=S131–S137|issn=0002-9378|doi=10.1016/j.ajog.2015.06.039| pmid=26428492|pmc=6800181}}</ref><ref name="PayneBayatibojakhi2014">{{cite journal|last1=Payne|first1=Matthew S.|last2=Bayatibojakhi|first2=Sara|title=Exploring Preterm Birth as a Polymicrobial Disease: An Overview of the Uterine Microbiome|journal=Frontiers in Immunology|volume=5|year=2014|issn=1664-3224|doi=10.3389/fimmu.2014.00595|pmid=25505898|pmc=4245917|pages=595|doi-access=free}}</ref>